University  of 

Illinois  Library 

at  Urbana-Champaign 

ACES 


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L  IL61b 

v. 11:32 


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UNIVERSITY     OF     ILLINOIS     BULLETIN 


Vol.  XI. 


Issued  Weekly 
April  6,   1914 


No.   32 


[Entered   aa  second-class  matter    December   1 1.  1912,  at  the  post  office  at  Urbana,  Illinois, 
under  the  Act  of  August  24,   1912.] 


Department  of  Household  Science 


Some  Points  to  be  Considered  in 
the  Planning  of  a  Rational  Diet 


By 


Susannah  Usher,  S.  B. 


First   Edition,    1912 

i)   Edition,   1914 
Third  Edition,   1916 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

U  LIBRARY 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAI6N 

ACES 


SOME  POINTS  TO  BE  CONSIDERED  IN  THE 
PLANNING  OF  A  RATIONAL  DIET 

The  rise  in  the  cost  of  living  has  made  the  cost  of  food  of 
vital  concern  to  most. of  us,  and  the  numerous  dietetic  cults  have 
set  us  thinking  along  the  line  of  diet  in  relation  to  health. 

We  want  to  be  efficient  human  beings  with  strength  and 
endurance  for  the  work  before  us;  but  we  do  not  know  what 
kind  or  how  much  food  is  necessary,  and  our  would-be  advisers 
hold  such  different  views  that  it  is  difficult  to  make  a  choice. 

Horace  Fletcher  tells  us  that  our  problem  will  be  solved  if 
we  chew  our  food  thoroughly ;  and  if  we  persist  in  this  prolonged 
mastication,  our  appetites  will,  eventually,  be  a  sure  guide  to  the 
kind  and  amount  of  sustenance  necessary.  He  found,  under  this 
regime,  that  his  diet  was  much  reduced  in  amount  and  tended 
towards  vegetarianism,  which  resulted  in  a  great  gain  in  physical 
well-being. 

Professor  Chittenden,  of  Yale,  after  scientific  experiments 
on  a  large  scale,  thinks  that  we  ordinarily  eat  too  much,  and 
especially  too  much  protein  (the  substance  represented  by  lean 
of  meat,  white  of  eggs,  casein  of  milk  and  gluten  of  wheat).  He 
believes  that  we  overload  the  system  with  protein,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, overwork  the  liver  and  kidneys  in  order  to  eliminate  the 
surplus. 

Professor  Atwater,  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  Experiment  Stations,  has  studied  the  dietaries  of 
people  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  and,  as  a  result,  advocates 
a  larger  amount  of  protein,  and,  also,  a  larger  amount  of  food 
than  Professor  Chittenden.  He  thinks  that  the  efficiency  of  the 
American  people  is  due.  in  part,  to  this  more  liberal  diet.  These 
three  authorities  agree  in  not  eliminating  meat  entirely  from  the 
diet,  but  they  disagree  in  the  amount  that  is  healthful  to  eat. 

Then  come  the  non-meat  eaters  or  vegetarians  who,  from 
ethical  or  physiological  reasons  or  both,  do  not  believe  in  the  use 
of  meat.  They  contend  that  they  have  strength  and  endurance 
and  freedom  from  disease.  Some  vegetarians  allow  the  use  of 
milk  and  eggs  in  the  diet,  but  others  use  no  animal  products. 
The  more  radical  reformers  subsisl  "ii  uncooked  vegetables  and 


fruits,  while  the  fruitarians  confine  themselves  to  fruit  and  nuts. 
Whom  shall  we  follow? 

Until  authorities  can  agree  it  may  be  wise  to  take  a  middle 
course  rather  than  to  try  extremes.  By  careful  observation,  each 
one  can  decide,  to  some  extent,  for  himself,  how  much  and  what 
kind  of  food  keeps  him  in  good  condition  for  his  particular  kind 
of  work. 

We  may  be  somewhat  bewildered  by  the  contentions  of  the 
meat  eaters,  the  non-meat  eaters,  the  chewers,  and  the  raw  food 
advocates ;  but  fortunately  we  have  some  landmarks  in  the  wil- 
derness. We  know  that  we  need  food  for  energy  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  muscular  work  that  we  perform.  This  has 
been  worked  out  by  accurate  scientific  experiment. 

As  a  basis  for  calculation  we  take  the  amount  of  energy 
necessary  to  maintain  a  man  who  is  lying  in  bed.  Under  these 
circumstances  energy  is  needed  for  the  internal  work  of  the  body, 
such  as  digestion,  assimilation,  circulation  of  the  blood,  and 
respiration. 

Using  a  calorie1  as  the  unit  for  measuring  energy,  we  may 
say  that  a  man  lying  quietly  in  bed  needs  about  2000  to  2100 
calories  of  energy ;  staying  in  doors  2200  to  2300 ;  light  work 
2500  to  2700;  moderate  work  2800  to  3200;  severe  work  4000 
to  6000.  These  are  average  figures  and,  of  course,  would  vary 
with  different  individuals.  The  larger  the  man,  the  more  calories 
he  needs,  so  it  is  more  accurate  to  give  the  calories  per  kilogram 
(1  kilogram  =  2.2  pounds)  or  per  pound  of  body  weight.  A  man 
of  average  weight  is  supposed  to  weigh  70  kilograms  or  154 
pounds.  Taking  these  facts  into  account  the  following  table  may 
be  considered  approximately  correct. 


Total 

Calories  per 

Calories  per 

Calories 

Kilogram 

Pound  Body 

Body  Weight 
28  to  30 

Weight 

Rest  in  bed 

2000  to  2100 

13 

Rest  indoors 

2200  to  2300 

31  to  32 

14  to  15 

Light    exercise 

2500  to  2700 

35  to  38 

16  to  17 

Moderate    work 

2800  to  3200 

40  to  45 

l8  tO   20 

Severe   work 

4000  to  6000 

57  to  85 

25  to  38 

In  some  cases  the  calories  may  rise  above  6000. 


1A  calorie  is  the  amount  of  heat  necessary  to  raise  the  temperature  of  one  kilogram 
of  water  1°  Centigrade  or  approximately  the  amount  of  heat  necessary  to  raise  the  tem- 
peiature  of  one  pint  of  water  4°  Fahrenheit. 


Iii  order  to  illustrate  what  the  above  table  means  in  kind 
and  amount  of  food  eaten  the  following  menus  have  been  calcu- 
lated for  a  man  weighing  154  pounds  or  70  kilograms. 

TABLE  I.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  MAN  OF  154  POUNDS 


AT    REST    IN    BED 


Kind  of  Food 

Weight  in  Ounces1 

Calories 

Weight  in  Grams1 

Total 

Protein 

Total 

Protein 

Breakfast 

Orange    

Oatmeal     

8.00 
0.50 

2.15 
2.00 
1.30 
0.25 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.048 
0.083 
0.054 
0.238 
0.120 
0.002 

0.027 

85 

57 
132 

80 
100 

56 

33 

61 

226.8 
14.1 
61.4 
56.7 
36.8 

7-1 
II-3 

7-9 
30.3 

Cream 

Egg 

Bread  

Butter   

Coffee  (1  cup) 
Sugar    

Cream   

Total   

15-95 

0.572 

604 

452.4 

16.216 

Dinner 

Lamb  Chop  

Potato  

Asparagus    

2.50 
4.00 
1.80 
■     1 -30 
0.75 
4-30 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.400 
0.072 
0.032 
0.120 
0.006 
0.142 

0.027 

205 

78 

11 

100 

168 

87 

33 
61 

70.9 

1 13-4 

51.0 

36.8 

24-3 
121.9 

H.3 

7-9 
30.3 

Bread  

Butter   

Tunket  

Coffee  (1  cup) 

Sugar  

Cream  ....^ 

Total    

16.40 

0.829 

743 

467.8 

23.502 

Supper 

Ovsters    

Toast    

Butter   

4.00 
1.30 
0.50 
0.21 
0.28 
4-30 
1. 00 
0.28 
1.07 

0.240 
0.120 
0.004 
0.045 

0.142 
0.028 

0.027 

57 
100 
1 12 
40 
33 
87 
55 
33 
61 

1 134 

36.8 

14.2 

5-9 

7-9 

121.9 

28.3 

7-9 

30.3 

Cocoa   (1  cup) 

Sugar  

Milk  

Boiled  Rice  

Sugar  

Cream   

Total   

Total    for    day 

12.54 
4489 

0.616 
2.017 

588 
1935 

366.6 
1286.8 

17464 
57.182 

'28.3502   grams=l    ounce. 


TABLE  II.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  MAN  OF  154  POUNDS 


AT     REST     INDOORS 


Kind  of  Food 


Breakfast 

Orange    

Oatmeal    

Cream     

Sugar    

Bacon    

Bread    

Butter   

Coffee    (1    cup).. 

Sugar    

Cream   

Total     

Dinner 

Beef   soup    

Lamb    chop 

Potato 

Asparagus 

Bread    

Butter    

Salad    (oil) 

Junket     

Coffee    (1    cup). 

Sugar    

Cream   

Total   

SitPpcr 

Oysters     

Toast     

Butter    

Cocoa   d   cup).. 

Sugar    

Milk    

Boiled  Rice  

Sugar 

Cream   

Jelly    

Total     

Total    for    da 


Weight  in  Ounces 


Total        Protein 


8.00 
0.50 
2.15 
0.28 
2.00 
1. 00 
1.30 
0.25 
0.40 
0.28 

1.07 


17-23 


1.30 
2.50 
400 
1.80 
1.3" 
O.50 
0.50 
4-.P 

O.28 
1.0/ 


400 
r.30 

O.iO 

0.21 

0.28 

4-30 
1. 00 
0.28 
1. 07 
1. 00 


13-94 
48.72 


0.048 
0.083 
0.054 

0.238 
0.091 
0.120 

O.0O2 


0.02" 


O.663 


•057 
O.4OO 
O.O72 
O.O32 
0.I20 
O.OO4 

O.I42 


0.02: 


O.854 


O.24O 
0.120 
O.OO4 
0.045 

0.T42 
0.028 

O.027 


O.606 
2.1 13 


Calories 


85 

57 

122 

33 
80 

175 

100 

56 

33 
61 


10 
205 

78 

IT 

100 

112 

80 

87 

33 
61 


100 
112 
40 
33 
87 
55 
33 
61 
QO 


718 
2297 


Weight  in  Grams 


Total     \   Protein 


226.8 
14.1 
61.4 
7-9 
56.7 
28.3 
36.8 

7-1 

11.9 

7-9 
30.3 


489.2 


36.8 
70.9 

1 134 
51.0 
36.8 
14.2 
14.2 

121.9 

7-9 
30.3 


497-4 


I  T  5.4 
36.8 
14.2 

5-9 

7-Q 

121  9 

28.3 

7-9 

30.3 

28.3 

394  9 


18.796 


24.21  I 


17. 180 
60.l87 


In  order  to  illustrate  what  the  above  table  means  in  kind 
and  amount  of  food  eaten  the  following  menus  have  been  calcu- 
lated for  a  man  weighing  154  pounds  or  70  kilograms. 

If  we  consider  the  menus  given  in  Table  I  we  find  that  for 
a  person  resting  in  bed  the  food  is  simple;  that  is,  each  dish  is 
composed  of  few  rather  than  many  ingredients ;  it  has  had  little 
manipulation,  and  it  does  not  stay  long  in  the  stomach.  About 
2.8  pounds  of  this  kind  of  food  must  be  consumed  to  give  2000 
calories  of  heat. 

The  menus  for  a  person  staying  indoors  but  not  working 
(Table  II),  differ  but  little  from  those  in  Table  I ;  but  the  quantity 
of  food  is  increased  to  3.04  pounds  and  the  calories  to  2297.  This 
gives  added  fuel  for  the  ordinary  movements  of  dressing  and 
undressing  and  moving  about  the  house.  Table  III  gives  a  day's 
menu  that  would  be  acceptable  to  a  person  taking  light  exercise, 
such  as  a  man  might  take  who  was  working  in  an  office.  The 
food  is  not  as  delicate  in  character  as  in  the  preceding  menus  and 
the  amount  is  increased  to  3.64  pounds  and  the  calories  to  2617. 

Table  IV,  calculated  for  a  man  doing  moderate  physical  work, 
shows  a  decided  change  in  the  character  of  the  food;  as  shown 
by  the  addition  of  brown  bread,  beans,  corned  beef,  pie,  and 
cheese.  This  does  not  mean  that  people  doing  light  work  should 
never  eat  these  dishes,  but  it  does  mean  they  should  not  prepon- 
derate in  the  diet.  The  richer  foods  in  Table  IV  give  3481  calo- 
ries with  little  increase  in  the  amount  of  food  eaten. 

Table  V  gives  quantities  for  more  severe  work ;  the  food  is 
increased  to  4.56  pounds  and  the  calories  to  4136. 

Table  VI  is  taken  from  Bulletin  Xo.  149  of  the  United  States 
Experiment  Station  as  it  shows  so  well  the  character  and  quantity 
of  food  eaten  by  Maine  lumbermen  at  very  severe  work.  On 
this  particular  day  5.78  pounds  of  food  were  eaten  which  gives 
7498  calories.  Baked  beans,  mince  pie  and  sausage  are  concen- 
trated foods  containing  a  large  amount  of  fat  and  in  consequence 
they  give  a  large  amount  of  energy. 

These  tables  show  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  food  from 
2.8  pounds  to  5.78  pounds ;  an  increase  in  the  calories  from  1935 
to  7498;  and  a  change  in  the  character  of  the  food  from  delicate 
lamb  chops,  oysters  and  asparagus  to  rich  pork  and  beans,  cheese, 
pie,  and  sausage.  The  latter  foods  do  .not  leave  the  stomach 
quickly,  or  to  use  the  ordinary  expression  they  "stay  by",  which 
is  a  quality  much  to  be  desired  where  hard  physical  work  is  to 
be  performed. 


8 


TABLE  III.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  MAN  OF  154  POUNDS 

AT    LIGHT    EXERCISE 


Kind  of  Food 

Weight  in  Ounces 

Calories 

Weight  in  Grams 

Total 

Protein 

Total 

Protein 

Breakfast 

Orange    

Oatmeal    

Cream   

Sugar    

8.00 
1. 00 

2.15 
0.28 
2.00 
1. 00 
1.30 
0.25 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.048 
0.166 
0.054 

0.238 
0.091 
0.120 
0.002 

0.027 

85 
114 
122 

33 

80 

100 

100 

56 

33 
61 

226.8 
28.3 
61.4 

7-9 
56.7 
28.3 
36.8 

7-1 
n-3 

7-9 
30.3 

Egg    

Bacon    

Bread    

Butter    

Coffee  (1  cup) 

Sugar  

Cream  

Total   

17-73 

0.746 

784 

502.8 

21.149 

Dinner 

Soup,    clear 

Roast  beef 

Potatoes   

1.30 
3.00 
4.00 
4.00 
1.30 
0.50 
0.50 
4.00 

0.28 
1.07 

0.057 
0-579 
0.072 
0.056 
0.120 
0.004 

0.124 
0.027 

10 
200 

78 

53 
100 
112 

80 
317 

33 
61 

36.8 

85.0 

1 13-4 

1 13-4 

36.8 

14.2 

14.2 

II3-4 

7-9 

30.3 

Squash    

Bread    

Butter   

Salad  

Pie,    apple    

Coffee  (1  cup) 

Sugar    

Cream     

Total  

19-95 

1.039 

1044 

5654 

42.5 
89.O 

3~~ 
36.8 

14.2 

5-9 

7-9 
121.9 

113  4 

56.7 

29.456 

Supper 

Meat,  cold  

Potatoes,  creamed.. 

Cold  slaw  

Bread  

Butter   

Cocoa    (1    cup) 
Sugar    

1.50 
3-14 
1-33 
1.30 
0.50 
0.21 
0.28 
4-30 
4.00 
2.00 

0.290 
0.082 

0.120 

0.004 
0.045 

0.142 
0.008 
0.058 

100 

100 

■    12 

100 

112 

40 

33 

87 

100 

105 

Milk  - 

Apple   sauce    

Ginger   bread 

Total   

Total  for  day 

20.56 
58.24 

0.749 
2.534 

789 
2617 

526.0 
1594-2 

21.234 
71-839 

TABLE  IV.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  MAN  OF  154  POUNDS 

AT   MODERATE   WORK 


Kind  of  Food 

Weight  in  Ounces 

Calories 

Weight  in  Grams 

Total 

Protein 

Total 

Protein 

Breakfast 

Banana    

3-5o 
2.00 

2.15 
0.28 
1.40 
4.00 
0.50 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.028 
0.332 
0.054 

0.425 
0.348 
0.002 

0.027 

66 
228 
122 

33 
100 

325 
112 

33 
61 

99.2 

56.7 
61.4 

7-9 
40.0 

1 13-4 
14.2 

H-3 

7-9 

30.3 

Oatmeal    

Cream  

Sugar  

Steak,  sirloin 

Biscuit  

Butter   

Coffee  (1  cup) 

Sugar  

Cream   

Total   

i5o8 

1.216 

980 

442.3 

24474 

Dinner 

Bean  soup 

Corned    beef 

Potatoes  

Turnips     

4.10 
2.00 
4.00 
4-30 
3.00 
2.60 
0./5 
1-54 
4.00 

0.28 
1.07 

0.131 
0.286 
0.072 
0.039 
0.039 
0.240 
0.006 

o.443 
0.124 

0.027 

76 

159 

78 

50 

35 

200 

168 

200 

317 

33 
61 

1 16.2 

56.7 

1 13-4 

121. 9 

85.0 

73-6 

21. 3 

43-7 
1 134 

7-9 

30.3 

Beets   

Bread  

Butter   

Cheese  .". 

Pie,  apple 

Coffee  (1  cup)  .  .  . 

Sugar  

Cream   

Total   

27.64 

2.00 
1-33 

1.50 
4.00 
o.75 

0.28 

1.07 
4.00 
1.60 

1.407 

1377 

6834 

40.088 

Supper 

Cold  corned  beef.... 
Cabbage  salad  (oil) 

Brown  bread 

Biscuit    

0143 

0.081 
0348 
0.006 

0.027 
0.008 
0.107 

125 
12 
100 
325 
168 

33 

61 

100 

200 

56.7 
37-7 
42.5 
1 1 34 
21.3 

7-9 

30.3 

"3-4 

46.0 

Butter    

Tea   ( 1  cup) 

Sugar 

Cream   

\pple  sauce 

Doughnut  

Total    

Total  for  day.. 

16.53 
50-75 

0.722 
2-345 

1 124 
348i 

469.2 
1504.9 

20.469 
85.031 

10 


TABLE  V.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  MAN  OF  154  POUNDS 

AT   SEVERE  WORK 


Kind  of  Food 

Weight  in  Ounces 

Calories 

Weight  in  Grams 

Total 

Protein 

Total 

Protein 

Breakfast 

Apple    sauce 

Oatmeal    

Cream  

Sugar  

Sausage,    pork 

Bread  

Butter   

Potatoes   

Coffee  (1  cup) 
Sugar — 

4.00 
2.00 
2.15 
0.56 
2.00 
2.60 
0.50 
4.00 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.008 
0.332 
0.054 

0.260 
0.240 
0.004 
0.072 

0.027 

100 
288 
122 

66 
300 
200 
112 

78 

33 
61 

1 1 3-4 
56.7 
61.4 
15-8 
56.7 
73-6 
14.2 

1 13-4 

1 1-3 

7-9 

30.3 

'Cream  

Total   

19.56 

3.00 
4.00 
4.00 
4-30 
5.20 
1.30 
0.75 
i-33 
4.00 
0.40 
0.28 
1.07 

0.997 

1300 

554-7 

28.265 

Dinner 

Boiled   ham 

Potatoes   

Sweet  potatoes 
Turnips    

0.426 
0.072 
0.072 
0.039 
0.340 

0.I2D 

O.OI3 
0.232 

0.027 

270 

78 

142 

50 

400 

100 

168 

12 

333 

33 
61 

85.0 
1 134 
1 13-4 
121.9 

1474 
36.8 
21.3 
37-7 

1 134 

H-3 

7-9 

30.3 

Corn    bread 

Bread  

Butter   

Cold  slaw   (cream) 

Pie,    mince 

Coffee  (1  cup) 

Sugar  

Cream   

Total    

29.63 

1 -34i 

1647 

50 
61 
400 
100 
168 
100 
210 
100 

839.8 

38.017 

Supper 

Dried  beef,  creamed 

Cream   

Fried    potatoes 

Bread    

Butter  

Apple  sauce 

Ginger  bread 

Milk,   skimmed 

1. 00 

1.07 
2. 40 
1.30 

o.75 
4.00 
4.00 
9.40 

0.264 
0.027 
0.164 
0.120 
0.006 
0.008 
0.116 
0.320 

28.3 

30.3 
68.0 
36.8 
21.3 

1 134 
1 13-4 

255-0 

Total    

Total  for  day.. 

23.92 
73-H 

1.025 

3-363 

u8q 
4136 

666.5 

206  T.O 

2Q  059 
95-341 

11 

TABLE  VI.— FOOD  FOR  ONE  DAY  FOR  .MAX  OF  154  POUNDS 

AT   VERY   SEVERE   WORK 


Kind  of  Food1 

Weight  in  Ounces 

Calories 

Weight  in  Grams 

Total 

Protein 

Total 

Protein 

Breakfast 
Baked   beans 

5-432 
2.646 
9.806 
0.240 
0-473 

0.428 
0.162 
0.408 
0.002 

293 

290 

798 

49 

53 

154 

75 
278 
6.8 

13-4 

Biscuit  

Mince  pie 

Butter   

Sugar  

Total    

18.679 

0.998 

0.767 
0.885 
0.648 

0.194 
0.009 

1483 

524 
268 
1161 
331 
182 

S3 

527-2 

28.292 

Dinner 
Baked   beans 

9-735 
5-185 
10.582 
3.3i6 
0.889 
0-473 

276 

147 
300 

94 
25.2 

13-4 

Bologna    sausage.... 
Biscuit    

25.10 

Gingerbread  

Butter   

Sugar    

5-50 

Total   

30.180 

2.503 

2519 

855.6 

70.960 

Supper 

Beef  smother 

Boiled  potatoes 

Biscuit  

Butter   

Sugar  

25.928 

2.892 

13.228 

T.III 
0.473 

3.602 
0.048 
0.810 

O.OII 

1679 

86 

1450 

228 

53 

735 
82 

375 
3i.5 
13-4 

102.01 

Total    

Total   fur  day.. 

43-633 
92.5IO 

4.471 
7.972 

3496 
7498 

1236.9 
2619.7 

126.753 
226.006 

An  inspection  of  the  tables  shows  that  the  protein  increases 
from  2  ounces  to  7.97  ounces  per  day.  In  this  bulletin  it  is 
impossible  to  go  into  a  discussion  of  the  protein  question,  because 
there  is  such  a  wide  divergence  of  opinion  as  to  the  amount 
necessary  to  keep  the  body  in  good  condition. 

Doctor  Langworthy,  in  Circular  No.  noof  the  United  States 
Office  of  Experiment  Stations,  gives  100  grams  (3.5  ounces)  for 
a  man  at  moderate  exercise.  The  menus  in  Table  V  give  approxi- 
mately this  amount  of  protein. 

Professor  Chittenden  would  reduce  the  amount  of  protein  or- 
dinarily eaten  by  one-half  to  one-third  and  others  would  reduce  it 
still  further.  We  may  well  question  the  advisability  of  reducing 
the  protein  in  our  diet  in  such  a  wholesale  fashion  until  further 


'!'.    S.    Experiment   Station    Bulletin   No.    149. 


12 

and  more  prolonged  experiments  are  made  to  prove  its  beneficial 
effects.  Nature  does  not  deal  with  minimum  amounts,  but  in  her 
workings  leaves  a  large  margin  of  safety.  The  body  may  be  able 
to  exist  on  a  minimum  amount  of  protein,  but  is  the  minimum 
the  optimum? 

Age,  also,  has  an  important  bearing  on  the  amount  and  kind 
of  food  that  is  necessary. 

Children  always  seem  to  be  hungry;  but  this  is  not  surpris- 
ing when  we  reflect  that  a  child  needs  food  for  activity,  for 
growth,  and  for  repair.  From  whatever  standpoint  we  look  at 
the  subject,  the  child  should  have  a  generous  amount  of  food. 
Compared  with  the  adult  it  needs  more  food  per  pound  of  body 
weight,  and,  also,  more  per  square  foot  of  surface. 

The  following  table  gives  approximate  requirement  per  day 
per  kilogram  (2.2  pounds  =  1  kilogram)  of  body  weight  for 
children  of  different  ages1 : 

1  year  100      calories  per  kilogram 

1-  2  years  100-90 

2-  5  years   90-80 

6-  9  years   80-70 

10-13  years  70-60        " 

14-17   years   60-45 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  this  table  with  the  following  data 
calculated  for  the  average  adult1 : 

At  complete  rest  30  to  35  calories  per  kilogram  per  day.  With  light 
exercise  35  to  40  calories  per  kilogram  per  day.  With  moderate  exercise 
40  to  45  calories  per  kilogram  per  day.  With  hard  muscular  exercise  45 
to  60  calories  per  kilogram  per  day. 

The  adult  does  not  need  45  to  60  calories  per  kilogram  per 
day  unless  he  is  doing  moderate  to  hard  muscular  work  but  the 
child  according  to  age  may  need  from  45  to  100  calories.  This 
excess  for  children  is  natural  for  they  must  build  up  a  large 
amount  of  bone  and  muscle  and  at  the  same  time  have  energy 
for  their  normal  activity. 

The  child  not  only  needs  more  food  per  pound  of  body  weight 
than  the  adult,  but  it  needs  more  protein,  which  in  young  children 
should  be  given  largely  in  the  form  of  milk  and  eggs.  Great  care 
should  be  used  in  the  selection  of  digestible  food,  and  as  an  aid 
in  making  a  selection,  the  forbidden  list  from  "The  Care  and 
Feeding  of  Children"  by  Doctor  Holt  is  given  below.  These 
foods  are  forbidden  for  children  under  four,  and  usually  for 
those  under  ten : 


'Chemistry   of  Nutrition,   Sherman. 


13 

"I  lam,  bacon,  sausage,  pork,  liver,  kidney,  game  and  all  dried  and 
salted  meats,  also  cod,  mackerel  and  halibut;  all  these  are  best  withheld 
until  the  child  has  passed  the  tenth  year. 

"Raw  vegetables  should  not  be  eaten  ;  such  as  celery,  radishes,  onions, 
cucumbers,  tomatoes  or  lettuce.  Certain  others,  even  when  well  cooked, 
should  not  be  allowed;  as,  corn,  lima  beans,  cabbage  and  egg  plant." 

As  we  go  on  from  middle  life  to  old  age  we  may  enjoy  our 
food,  and  may  feel  inclined  to  eat  as  much  as  when  we  were 
vigorous  and  active ;  but  the  bodily  functions  feel  the  strain,  we 
begin  to  be  aware  of  discomfort,  and  we  may  be  beset  by  various 
ills  that  could  be  avoided  by  an  intelligent  supervision  of  our  diet. 

Old  people  do  not  need  a  different  kind  of  food,  but  they 
certainly  do  need  less;  and  if  any  change  is  made  in  kind  it  should 
be  toward  simple,  easily  digested  food,  with  a  decrease  in  the 
amount  of  protein. 

Age  and  activity  influence  the  amount  and  kind  of  food  and 
they  also  influence  the  variety  that  we  crave. 

The  craving  for  variety  is  felt  less  by  the  young  and  by 
people  living  out  of  doors.  Here  appetite  is  the  best  sauce.  Peo- 
ple leading  sedentary  lives  demand  variety  and  are  often  consid- 
ered "fussy"  in  consequence,  because  it  is  not  understood  that  if 
food  is  enjoyed  it  calls  forth  a  more  liberal  flow  of  the  digestive 
juices  of  the  mouth  and  stomach. 

This  question  of  variety  is  often  a  puzzling  one  to  the  house- 
keeper especially  if  the  market  is  poor;  in  this  case,  she  is  thrown 
back  on  variety  in  the  preparation  of  a  few  food  materials  rather 
than  variety  in  the  materials  themselves. 

Different  methods  of  preparing  a  few  simple  foods  are  well 
illustrated  by  some  work  done  by  a  class  at  the  University  of 
Illinois.  These  students  were  given  four  simple  foods,  beef, 
potatoes,  cabbage  and  apples,  from  which  to  serve  twelve  meals 
without  twice  preparing  the  same  food  in  the  same  manner, 
i.    Porterhouse  Steak  Cabbage  Salad   (Sour  Cream 

Mashed  Potato  Dressing) 

Cabbage  Salad  with  Nuts  Plain  Bread 

Baking  Powder  Biscuit  Baked  Apples  with  Cream 

\pple  Pie  Coffee 


Coffee 


Creamed  Dried  Beef 


2-    TonSue  ,                   Stuffed  Potatoes 

Cabbage  and  Potato  Salad                   Creamed   Cabbage  with 

Popovers                    _  Peppers 

Apple  Turnovers  with  Cream  Graham  Muffins 

a  Brown  Betty  with  Cream 

3.    Roast  Ribs  of  Beef  Coffee 
Baked  Potatoes 


14 

5-    Shepherd's  Pie  9. 

Creamed  Cabbage 
White  Muffins 
Apple    Souffle,   with   Whipped 

Cream 
Cocoa 

6.  Corned  Beef  IO- 
Boiled   Potatoes 

Boiled  Cabbage 
Butter  Rolls 
Apple  Pudding 
Coffee 

7.  Short  Ribs 
French  Fried  Potatoes 
Steamed  Cabbage 

Apple  Dumplings  and  Cream 

Graham  Gems 

Coffee 

8.  Rolled,  Stuffed  Steak  12. 
Browned  Potatoes 

Hot  Slaw 

Baked  Apples,  Cream,  Jelly, 

Nuts 
Coffee 


11. 


Hamburg  Steak 
Riced  Potatoes 
Escalloped   Cabbage 
.  Graham  Bread 
Apple  Tapioca 
Coffee 

Corned  Beef  Hash 
Potatoes  with  Butter  and  Parsley 
Cabbage  au  Gratin 
Entire  Wheat  Muffins 
Dutch   Apple   Cake,   Lemon 

Sauce 
Tea 

Beef  Loaf 
Creamed  Potatoes 
Cold  Slaw 
Nut  Bread 

Dutch  Apple  Cake  with  Cream 
Coffee 

Pan  Broiled  Flank  Steak 
Escalloped  Potatoes 
Fried  Cabbage 
French  Rolls 

Apple  Short  Cake  and  Cream 
Cocoa 


Diversity  in  food  materials  is  more  easily  attained  if  markets 
are  good,  but  even  here  thought  and  care  must  be  used. 
The  following  menus  explain  this  point1 : 

SUNDAY,    NOVEMBER    10. 

Breakfast. — Fresh  fruit,  shredded-wheat  biscuit,  Boston  brown  bread, 
baked  beans. 

Dinner. — Braised  fowl,  sweet  potatoes,  turnips,  cranberry  jelly,  lettuce 
and  radish  salad,  cheese  wafers,  brown  bread,  ice  cream. 

.S'i</>/'£r.— Vegetable  salad,  bread  and  butter,  cocoa,  preserved  peaches. 
Newport  cakes. 

MONDAY,    NOVEMBER    II. 

Breakfast. — -Fresh  fruit,  wheat  breakfast  food,  corn  bread,  corned-beef 
hash. 

Luncheon. — Clear  chicken  soup,  beef  stew,  baked  potatoes,  celery,  rice 
pudding  with  cream. 

Dinner. — Boiled  leg  of  mutton  with  egg  sauce,  mashed  potatoes,  beans, 
lettuce  salad,  cheese  wafers,  hickory  nuts,  raisins,  coffee. 

TUESDAY,    NOVEMBER    12. 

Breakfast.— Fresh  fruit,  rolled-oat  breakfast  food,  dropped  eggs  on 
toast,  graham  muffins. 


bulletin  No.  129,  Office  of  Experiment  Stations. 


15 

Luncheon. — Cold  roast  beef,  crab-apple  jelly,  samp,  lettuce  salad,  baked 
Indian   pudding  with  cream,   Russian   tea. 

Dinner. — Clear  stock  soup,  baked  bam,  mashed  potatoes,  spinach,  lemon 
sherbet. 

WEDNESDAY,    NOVEMBER    13. 

Breakfast. — Fresh  fruit,  wheat  breakfast  food,  bacon,  baked  potatoes, 
hot  rolls. 

Luncheon. — Escalloped  mutton,  Saratoga  potatoes,  celery,  chocolate, 
bread   pudding  with   hard   sauce. 

Pinner. — Roast  rump,  browned  potatoes,  succotash,  grape  jelly,  lettuce 
salad,  cheese  wafers,  coffee  jelly  with  cream,  sugar  cookies. 

THURSDAY,    NOVEMBER    14. 

Breakfast. — Fresh  fruit,  shredded-wheat  biscuit,  sausage,  brewis,  gra- 
ham rolls. 

Luncheon. — Baked  beans  and  tomato  soup,  cold  sliced  ham,  Spanish 
pickle,   spaghetti  with  cheese,  baked  apples,  Russian  tea. 

Dinner. — Cream  of  Lima  bean  soup,  toasted  Boston  crackers,  rump 
steak,  mashed  potatoes,  peas,  barberry  jelly,  tapioca  cream. 

FRIDAY,    NOVEMBER    1 5. 

Breakfast. — Fresh   fruit,  wheat   breakfast   food,  codfish  balls,  hot  rolls. 

Luncheon. — Finnan  haddie,  baked  potatoes,  celery,  apple  pie.  cheese, 
Russian   tea. 

Pinner. — Cream  of  clam  chowder,  escalloped  fish,  baked  sweet  potatoes, 
parsnip  cakes,   celery,    steamed   apple   pudding  with    foamed   sauce. 
SATURDAY,    NOVEMBER    l6. 

Breakfast. — Fresh  fruit,  wheat  breakfast  food,  creamed  dried  beef, 
fried  potatoes,  corn  bread. 

Luncheon. — Cold  sliced  rump  beef,  samp,  lettuce  salad,  hot  gingerbread, 
cream  cheese,  Russian  tea. 

Pinner. — Clear  stock  soup,  corned  beef,  boiled  potatoes,  boiled  cabbage, 
creamed  carrots,  lemon  jelly. 

Too  much  variety  at  one  meal  is  not  desirable :  it  is  not  only 
unduly  expensive,  hut  it  is  cloying.  The  menu  below,  which 
illustrates  this  point,  is  not  a  product  of  the  imagination,  but  an 
actual  meal  served  to  do  honor  to  guests : 

Celery  Turkey    with    Oyster    Stuffing  Olives 

Mashed    Potatoes  Baked    Sweet    Potatoes 

Creamed  Cabbage  Stewed  Onions 

Cold  Boiled  Ham        Mixed  Pickle        Cold  Tongue 

Peach  Pickle  Mixed  Pickle  Cucumber   Pickle 

Pickled  Onion-  Strawberry  Jam'  Grape  Jelly 

Peach  Marmalade  Crab  Jelly  Mince  Pie  Pumpkin  Pie 

Fruit  Cake  Cookies  Apples  Oranges  Nuts 

Candy  Coffee 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


16  3  0112  096200479 

Some  one  has  said  that  the  stomach  secretes  juices  suitable 
in  strength  and  composition  to  the  food  to  be  digested.  If  this 
view  is  true,  the  stomach,  in  this  instance,  would  be  paralyzed  by 
the  problem  set  before  it. 

It  can  not  be  denied  that  this  question  of  diet  is  an  intricate 
and  important  one,  involving  considerations  of  the  age,  activity, 
size,  and  composition  of  each  individual ;  and  to  a  less  extent  of 
climate,  season,  sex,  and  idiosyncrasy. 

Scientific  men  feel  that  they  can  talk  with  the  most  assurance 
about  the  energy  requirements  of  the  body,  because  with  proper 
apparatus  this  can  be  accurately  measured.  Some  day,  not  far 
distant,  they  may  be  able  to  speak  with  equal  assurance  of  the 
body  requirements  for  protein  and  mineral  salts. 


Ms 


m 


m 


mm 


m 


■ 


